ATR Inhibition Assay: Assays were carried out in a mixture of 50 mM Tris/HCl (pH 7.5), 10 mM MgCl2 and 1 mM DTT. Final substrate concentrations were 10 μM [γ-33P]ATP (3mCi 33P ATP/mmol ATP, Perkin Elmer) and 800 μM target peptide (ASELPASQPQPFSAKKK). Assays were carried out at 25° C. in the presence of 5 nM full-length ATR. An assay stock buffer solution was prepared containing all of the reagents listed above, with the exception of ATP and the test compound of interest. 13.5 μL of the stock solution was placed in a 96 well plate followed by addition of 2 μL of DMSO stock containing serial dilutions of the test compound (typically starting from a final concentration of 15 μM with 3-fold serial dilutions) in duplicate (final DMSO concentration 7%). The plate was pre-incubated for 10 minutes at 25° C. and the reaction initiated by addition of 15 μL [γ-33P]ATP (final concentration 10 μM). The reaction was stopped after 24 hours by the addition of 30 μL 0.1M phosphoric acid containing 2 mM ATP. A multiscreen phosphocellulose filter 96-well plate (Millipore, Cat no. MAPHN0B50) was pretreated with 100 μL 0.2M phosphoric acid prior to the addition of 45 μL of the stopped assay mixture. The plate was washed with 5×200 μL 0.2M phosphoric acid. After drying, 100 μL Optiphase 'SuperMix' liquid scintillation cocktail (Perkin Elmer) was added to the well prior to scintillation counting (1450 Microbeta Liquid Scintillation Counter, Wallac).
Cellular Assay: ATM and ATR have distinct and overlapping responses to DNA damage. They must participate together and responses must be co-ordinated. Both pathways may be activated by ionising radiation, however only ATR is activated by UV. Since UV treatment is not practical for use in a high throught-put cell assay, the UV mimetic 4NQ0 (Sigma) was chosen to activate the ATR DNA damage response pathway.
Enzyme Assay: ATR for use in the in vitro enzyme assay was obtained from HeLa nuclear extract (CIL Biotech, Mons, Belgium) by immunoprecipitation with rabbit polycolonal antiserum raised to amino acids 400-480 of ATR (Tibbetts R S et, al, 1999, GenesDev.13:152-157).
Inhibition Assay: Compounds were screened for their ability to inhibit ATR kinase using a radioactive-phosphate incorporation assay. Assays were carried out in a mixture of 50 mM Tris/HCl (pH 7.5), 10 mM MgCl2 and 1 mM DTT. Final substrate concentrations were 10 uM [gamma-33P]ATP (3 mCi 33P ATP/mmol ATP, Perkin Elmer) and 800 uM target peptide (ASELPASQPQPFSAKKK).Assays were carried out at 25 C. in the presence of 5 nM full-length ATR. An assay stock buffer solution was prepared containing all of the reagents listed above, with the exception of ATP and the test compound of interest. 13.5 uL of the stock solution was placed in a 96 well plate followed by addition of 2 uL of DMSO stock containing serial dilutions of the test compound (typically starting from a final concentration of 15 uM with 3-fold serial dilutions) in duplicate (final DMSO concentration 7%). The plate was pre-incubated for 10 minutes at 25 C.
Inhibition Assay: Compounds were screened for their ability to inhibit ATR kinase using a radioactive-phosphate incorporation assay. Assays were carried out in a mixture of 50 mM Tris/HCl (pH 7.5), 10 mM MgCl2 and 1 mM DTT. Final substrate concentrations were 10 μM [γ-33P]ATP (3mCi 33P ATP/mmol ATP, Perkin Elmer) and 800 μM target peptide (ASELPASQPQPFSAKKK).Assays were carried out at 25° C. in the presence of 5 nM full-length ATR. An assay stock buffer solution was prepared containing all of the reagents listed above, with the exception of ATP and the test compound of interest. 13.5 μL of the stock solution was placed in a 96 well plate followed by addition of 2 μL of DMSO stock containing serial dilutions of the test compound (typically starting from a final concentration of 15 μM with 3-fold serial dilutions) in duplicate (final DMSO concentration 7%). The plate was pre-incubated for 10 minutes at 25° C. and the reaction initiated by addition of 15 μL [γ-33P]ATP.
Inhibition of recombinant human full-length N-terminal Flag epitope-tagged ATR expressed in HEK293T cells using ASELPASQPQPFSAKKK peptide as substrate measured after 24 hrs in presence of [gamma-33P] ATP by microbeta liquid scintillation counting analysis
Inhibition of ATR in human HCT116 cells assessed as reduction in histone H2AX phosphorylation by Hoechst staining-based immunofluorescence microscopic analysis